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Relatively Famous
Relatively Famous delivers Hollywood with heart. Meet Dani McKinley: A typical teen whose world is rocked when she finds out that her father is a famous Hollywood action star. Now meet Mark Ocean: A self-serving actor with a floundering career who sees that a daughter is just what he needs to reinvent himself as a family man and get back on track. When the two decide to spend the summer together, they must not only wrangle their own love lives, but try to figure out who they really are to themselves and to each other.
Now armed with credit cards, club memberships, and a new wardrobe, Dani learns that what Mark has in wealth, he sorely lacks in parenting skills. Trying to show Mark that parenting is about more than loading her up with Prada bags and taking her to movie premieres is challenging enough, but she's also got her hands full with her new friends. Oh, and the boys... Dani meets Jason, a gorgeous young personal trainer who is easy on the eyes and wildly flirtatious. But is this smug hottie the one for her? Or will she ignore her friends eye-rolling and go for the goofy but sweet surfer?
While juggling her own complicated love life, Dani tries to set her father up with someone less likely to appear on a VH1 reality show, and someone more... well, normal. And age-appropriate. And dressed in anything but a thong bikini. But whether Mark is able to heal old wounds and move forward with anything more than a meaningless fling remains to be seen.
Can Dani fit in with this new, fast-moving California crowd without losing herself? With the world at her fingertips and hot boys now after her, staying grounded gets tough. And can Mark drop his egocentric approach to life and learn to appreciate how truly wonderful his daughter is? As driven as he is to get that A-list acting role, he's willing to do whatever it takes to get there, even if it means using his daughter. Or is he...? Mark and Dani's relationship hits a few highs, but the question becomes whether the lows are too much.
Now armed with credit cards, club memberships, and a new wardrobe, Dani learns that what Mark has in wealth, he sorely lacks in parenting skills. Trying to show Mark that parenting is about more than loading her up with Prada bags and taking her to movie premieres is challenging enough, but she's also got her hands full with her new friends. Oh, and the boys... Dani meets Jason, a gorgeous young personal trainer who is easy on the eyes and wildly flirtatious. But is this smug hottie the one for her? Or will she ignore her friends eye-rolling and go for the goofy but sweet surfer?
While juggling her own complicated love life, Dani tries to set her father up with someone less likely to appear on a VH1 reality show, and someone more... well, normal. And age-appropriate. And dressed in anything but a thong bikini. But whether Mark is able to heal old wounds and move forward with anything more than a meaningless fling remains to be seen.
Can Dani fit in with this new, fast-moving California crowd without losing herself? With the world at her fingertips and hot boys now after her, staying grounded gets tough. And can Mark drop his egocentric approach to life and learn to appreciate how truly wonderful his daughter is? As driven as he is to get that A-list acting role, he's willing to do whatever it takes to get there, even if it means using his daughter. Or is he...? Mark and Dani's relationship hits a few highs, but the question becomes whether the lows are too much.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 22, 2010
135 people are currently reading
1564 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Park
20 books4,209 followersJessica is the author of 180 SECONDS, CLEAR, The Left Drowning Series (LEFT DROWNING and RESTLESS WATERS), the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (& the companion novella FLAT-OUT MATT), FLAT-OUT CELESTE, and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.
Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessic... and Twitter @JessicaPark24
Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessic... and Twitter @JessicaPark24
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
February 14, 2022
This book was one of the few already downloaded to my Kindle when the bad weather hit, which knocked out my power and also my internet. So I read it in a couple of hours because there was literally nothing else to do.
I thought the story was fun. It was a quick read. Some things were predictable and kind of sitcom-y (like Dani overhearing Mark saying that he had originally reached out to her because he thought the idea of him having a kid would help his career - but missing how he followed that up by saying he was surprised how much he had enjoyed having Dani around and being a dad). And that situation just - ended. She never confronted him and he never told her how he had finished the conversation, but because he threatened some papparazzi in the bushes, Dani was suddenly ok with him again.
Super light, low conflict that's easily resolved, high rolling LA lifestyle... all in all, a pretty good way to spend a couple of dark hours during a winter storm.
I thought the story was fun. It was a quick read. Some things were predictable and kind of sitcom-y (like Dani overhearing Mark saying that he had originally reached out to her because he thought the idea of him having a kid would help his career - but missing how he followed that up by saying he was surprised how much he had enjoyed having Dani around and being a dad). And that situation just - ended. She never confronted him and he never told her how he had finished the conversation, but because he threatened some papparazzi in the bushes, Dani was suddenly ok with him again.
Super light, low conflict that's easily resolved, high rolling LA lifestyle... all in all, a pretty good way to spend a couple of dark hours during a winter storm.
October 11, 2011
2.5 stars. You like those simple, California-based teen romance movies in which a former no-name girl falls in love with the wrong guy first, gets enveloped into the rich-people-fold, makes everbody ultimately happy and eliminates everybody's problems? Then you'll like this book, although it is even more predictable and a little less dramatic. Hollywood chicklit. Nothing more.
If you are on the lookout for a better mid-thirties-guy-gets-to-know-his-teenage-daughter-story, I recommend Dinner for Two by Mike Gayle.
If you are on the lookout for a better mid-thirties-guy-gets-to-know-his-teenage-daughter-story, I recommend Dinner for Two by Mike Gayle.
October 3, 2018
I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with this book. I have heard great things about this author but I didn’t see much of that here. For one thing, there were a lot of typos. I can overlook that, especially if the author is Indie and self-published but the majority of the typos were really obvious, like no one did a final read-through, at all. My second problem with this story was that there were several plot points that were just, either dropped or thrown in. I still enjoyed the story and will definitely give this author another try but I will do so with caution.
July 23, 2010
Author Jessica Park, known for the cuisine-centric cozy mysteries she penned with her mother, Susan Conant, makes two successful debuts here — as a Young Adult author and as a self-published e-book author.
"Relatively Famous" is breezy summer fare that should tickle young teen girls with its tantalizing, authoritative and often hilarious glimpses at beach fashion, the B-film industry and, of course, hot boys. And fifteen-year-old Dani McKinley, the story's central character, makes for a pretty good role model. She can be a bit of a turn-on-a-dime diva at times, but she's goodhearted and ultimately well-grounded.
The story: Dani, living an ordinary life in suburban Michigan with her single mom, her mom's longtime boyfriend and her best friend, has her world turned upside-down when a longheld secret spills forth: Her biological father is none other than Mark Ocean, Hollywood's king of the scatterbrained B-movie thriller. After a few rounds of denials and recriminations, father invites daughter to spend a summer with him in Southern California.
Mark, a 35-year-old confirmed bachelor type, isn't thrilled about having a teen daughter and doesn't exactly know what to do with her, but he does help her hook up with a ready-made set of gorgeous, spoiled children-of-celebrities teens ... though even that move is rooted in a secret and self-aggrandizing agenda. Romances ensue for both father and daughter as they fumble their way toward a relationship stripped of artifice and defensive attacks.
Misunderstandings lead to deep complications, until at one point, Dani finds herself angry with almost everybody she knows ... most of all herself and her typical teen penchant for bad moves borne of hotheaded impulse. How she manages to dig herself, and everybody she cares about, out of that hole makes for a deeply satisfying ending.
Park knows her craft, and when combined with obvious affection for her characters, she can't help but deliver a tight, fast-paced winner that, in a just world, would be taking up chain-store space this summer alongside Stephenie Meyer's books.
"Relatively Famous" is breezy summer fare that should tickle young teen girls with its tantalizing, authoritative and often hilarious glimpses at beach fashion, the B-film industry and, of course, hot boys. And fifteen-year-old Dani McKinley, the story's central character, makes for a pretty good role model. She can be a bit of a turn-on-a-dime diva at times, but she's goodhearted and ultimately well-grounded.
The story: Dani, living an ordinary life in suburban Michigan with her single mom, her mom's longtime boyfriend and her best friend, has her world turned upside-down when a longheld secret spills forth: Her biological father is none other than Mark Ocean, Hollywood's king of the scatterbrained B-movie thriller. After a few rounds of denials and recriminations, father invites daughter to spend a summer with him in Southern California.
Mark, a 35-year-old confirmed bachelor type, isn't thrilled about having a teen daughter and doesn't exactly know what to do with her, but he does help her hook up with a ready-made set of gorgeous, spoiled children-of-celebrities teens ... though even that move is rooted in a secret and self-aggrandizing agenda. Romances ensue for both father and daughter as they fumble their way toward a relationship stripped of artifice and defensive attacks.
Misunderstandings lead to deep complications, until at one point, Dani finds herself angry with almost everybody she knows ... most of all herself and her typical teen penchant for bad moves borne of hotheaded impulse. How she manages to dig herself, and everybody she cares about, out of that hole makes for a deeply satisfying ending.
Park knows her craft, and when combined with obvious affection for her characters, she can't help but deliver a tight, fast-paced winner that, in a just world, would be taking up chain-store space this summer alongside Stephenie Meyer's books.
October 8, 2010
Check Out Author's Interview !!
I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book !
It started as shallow, obnoxious and tragically filled with too much Hollywood, for my taste. But it turned out to be much more than that of course.
It talks about change, friendship, forgiveness, and most of all growing up.
I couldn't help but wonder how the author was going to play out the scene. I guess I'm just one of those who hates tabloids on the outside and secretly loves to sneak on celebrities on the insidie?? (Gosh, I hope not !!)
Although the background was Hollywood, I could see that it had huge character building potentials. I thought it could've been longer, be more intuitive with characters or more descriptive on small details.
But overall, it's truly a relaxing read.
And I look forward to her next book ^_^
I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book !
It started as shallow, obnoxious and tragically filled with too much Hollywood, for my taste. But it turned out to be much more than that of course.
It talks about change, friendship, forgiveness, and most of all growing up.
I couldn't help but wonder how the author was going to play out the scene. I guess I'm just one of those who hates tabloids on the outside and secretly loves to sneak on celebrities on the insidie?? (Gosh, I hope not !!)
Although the background was Hollywood, I could see that it had huge character building potentials. I thought it could've been longer, be more intuitive with characters or more descriptive on small details.
But overall, it's truly a relaxing read.
And I look forward to her next book ^_^
August 7, 2011
This one just wasn't as good as Flat-Out Love. One of the problems is that the biggest plot issue is completely overlooked in the end. It simply isn't dealt with and that's frustrating.
I also thought this was really choppy, too much head hopping, and the end just wasn't satisfying. I felt there were probably too many plot threads and not enough character development. I was disappointed, sadly. Damn.
I also thought this was really choppy, too much head hopping, and the end just wasn't satisfying. I felt there were probably too many plot threads and not enough character development. I was disappointed, sadly. Damn.
October 2, 2017
Meh. I’m so bummed! I’m not sure what went wrong ... possibly the awkward third person narrative hopping between characters or the pacing seeming off ... I just didn’t feel it. And I LOVE this author! Sigh ...
June 8, 2022
Reminded me of a Nicholas Sparks novel/movie, but not as good. Some of the characters’ choices didn’t really make sense, maybe they just weren’t fully fleshed out.
February 7, 2020
This story starts with Dani not knowing who her father is. She is content without him in her world until an explosive secret is revealed. Dani gets thrown into father's world and all hell breaks loose. I thought the story was believable. The stunts that Dani pulls in the story is realistic and plausible.
I thought the story was well written. I will recommend it to others.
I thought the story was well written. I will recommend it to others.
September 20, 2013
First off, I've had a difficult time getting through this book the first time around. Not because it was terrible, but because every other page had these weird symbols. There were no words, just unreadable symbols. I assume the book was formatted wrong when it was downloaded initially. I had to delete it, and re-download it. This worked amazingly, though this was much more of a hassle than I expected.
This story is about a girl who grew up with her single mother for most of her life before finding out her biological father is this big name movie star in Hollywood. Everything you assume will happen, happens. I'm not even kidding. I'm still on the fence on whether or not that's a good thing or bad thing.
Now, one of my biggest qualms with this story was the hypocrisy and contradictions amongst the characters. I guess it's because I may have a completely different meaning when it comes to omissions and family. The relationship between the two shouldn't correlate, but it does more often than not. There was this one scene where Alan (Leila's boyfriend) gave Dani permission to be angry about the situation, but he made certain she knew that she couldn't be pissed at her mother but it was just fine to be mad at her father. I don't see things the way most people do, so my opinion will be considerably unpopular. I'm more of a person who will blame the one responsible, family or not. What grinds my gears was the fact that Leila just assumed that Mark wouldn't be ready for a family; she was in the exact same situation as him and around the same age as well, so there was no way for her to know if SHE was even ready for a family. But that justifies what she did? No, not in my book.
I'm not, nor have I ever been a parent, but I like to view these situations from the point of view of the child. I feel very strongly when your family keeps something of that magnitude from you, especially when you have a right to know. Leila should bet her lucky stars that Dani didn't grow to resent Mark for not being in her life when he didn't even know. I know some people are going to say that Leila did it to protect her daughter, but again no one could have known how Mark would have reacted to the news had he known.
I did feel the ending was a tad bit too contrived. I hope no one in the real world would allow something like what Sam did go. BFFs or just mere friends, I expect all of my friends to keep my personal business to themselves. Everyone makes mistakes, but Sam didn't even have the gall or decency to tell her BEST friend that it was her that let the cat out of the bag. The bad part is she let Dani find out from someone else, when she at least owed it to her.
This book wasn't horrible, but it was just okay. It didn't wow me, me but it kept me interested. If the story progressed organically, I would have fell in love. Instead, it fell short.
This story is about a girl who grew up with her single mother for most of her life before finding out her biological father is this big name movie star in Hollywood. Everything you assume will happen, happens. I'm not even kidding. I'm still on the fence on whether or not that's a good thing or bad thing.
Now, one of my biggest qualms with this story was the hypocrisy and contradictions amongst the characters. I guess it's because I may have a completely different meaning when it comes to omissions and family. The relationship between the two shouldn't correlate, but it does more often than not. There was this one scene where Alan (Leila's boyfriend) gave Dani permission to be angry about the situation, but he made certain she knew that she couldn't be pissed at her mother but it was just fine to be mad at her father. I don't see things the way most people do, so my opinion will be considerably unpopular. I'm more of a person who will blame the one responsible, family or not. What grinds my gears was the fact that Leila just assumed that Mark wouldn't be ready for a family; she was in the exact same situation as him and around the same age as well, so there was no way for her to know if SHE was even ready for a family. But that justifies what she did? No, not in my book.
I'm not, nor have I ever been a parent, but I like to view these situations from the point of view of the child. I feel very strongly when your family keeps something of that magnitude from you, especially when you have a right to know. Leila should bet her lucky stars that Dani didn't grow to resent Mark for not being in her life when he didn't even know. I know some people are going to say that Leila did it to protect her daughter, but again no one could have known how Mark would have reacted to the news had he known.
I did feel the ending was a tad bit too contrived. I hope no one in the real world would allow something like what Sam did go. BFFs or just mere friends, I expect all of my friends to keep my personal business to themselves. Everyone makes mistakes, but Sam didn't even have the gall or decency to tell her BEST friend that it was her that let the cat out of the bag. The bad part is she let Dani find out from someone else, when she at least owed it to her.
This book wasn't horrible, but it was just okay. It didn't wow me, me but it kept me interested. If the story progressed organically, I would have fell in love. Instead, it fell short.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2013
I decided to read Relatively Famous after falling in love with Jessica Park when I read Flat-Out Love. I never wanted Flat-Out Love to end and thought that I might find the same connection with another book written by Jessica Park. I love her style of writing...she's funny and writes intelligently, but also knows how to pull at your heartstrings. I found that I really liked Relatively Famous, just not as much as Flat-Out Love. RF is a very easy read (like 1 day easy read) and is a very sweet story about family.
The book starts out a little slow, but once I got into it that last 60% of the book it was fun, sweet and entertaining.
Also worth mentioning...I loved the new friends Dani makes during her summer between 9th and 10th grade. They were an unexpected group of girls who really care for her!
This is a great book to read if you need to wind down after something intense.
The book starts out a little slow, but once I got into it that last 60% of the book it was fun, sweet and entertaining.
Also worth mentioning...I loved the new friends Dani makes during her summer between 9th and 10th grade. They were an unexpected group of girls who really care for her!
This is a great book to read if you need to wind down after something intense.
November 5, 2013
I was delighted when this book was free for download and promptly loaded it on my kindle to read at a later stage. I’ve seen so many glowing reviews of “Flat Out Love” by Jessica Park, and though I haven’t read it yet, I was excited to start with “Relatively Famous”. Ten percent into the kindle version of “Relatively Famous” I was already disappointed and rolling my eyes like crazy.
In short, this book was honestly and one hundred percent not for me. I can hardly muster up any praise for it. I think the idea for the story is great and in the hands of a good editor can turn into a rather fantastic read. But in its current form, the plot, main character, and editing is atrocious. It is a clean read, though, and younger readers (age ten to twelve) might enjoy this read immensely. I had too many issues with it. Mainly with Dani, who is pretentious, obnoxious, and flat out moody, miserable and ungrateful. She’s a classic Mary Sue example with all the added nasty bits.
The plot moved at an easy pace, but was full of holes and unjustified motives that didn’t make sense. Don’t even get me started on the dull and stilted dialogue which was completely unnatural.
The reason for my three-star rating is that this is not the worst book ever. Not at all. I’ve read much, much worse. I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from reading “Relatively Famous”, but I won’t recommend it as a priority on your to-read list either. Because I liked the idea of the story, I enjoyed it enough to keep reading till the end. I also think the world-building was done very well, and the author introduces the reader to an insider view of the Hollywood A-list lifestyle. A lot of it was quite fascinating.
All in all, if I have to decide by this novel whether I would be reading anything else written by Jessica Park, the answer would be a resounding “no”. But, I’ve heard a lot of good things about her other books and therefore would be willing to give those ones a try. She has all the right ideas, but need a little professional guidance to make them shine.
In short, this book was honestly and one hundred percent not for me. I can hardly muster up any praise for it. I think the idea for the story is great and in the hands of a good editor can turn into a rather fantastic read. But in its current form, the plot, main character, and editing is atrocious. It is a clean read, though, and younger readers (age ten to twelve) might enjoy this read immensely. I had too many issues with it. Mainly with Dani, who is pretentious, obnoxious, and flat out moody, miserable and ungrateful. She’s a classic Mary Sue example with all the added nasty bits.
The plot moved at an easy pace, but was full of holes and unjustified motives that didn’t make sense. Don’t even get me started on the dull and stilted dialogue which was completely unnatural.
The reason for my three-star rating is that this is not the worst book ever. Not at all. I’ve read much, much worse. I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from reading “Relatively Famous”, but I won’t recommend it as a priority on your to-read list either. Because I liked the idea of the story, I enjoyed it enough to keep reading till the end. I also think the world-building was done very well, and the author introduces the reader to an insider view of the Hollywood A-list lifestyle. A lot of it was quite fascinating.
All in all, if I have to decide by this novel whether I would be reading anything else written by Jessica Park, the answer would be a resounding “no”. But, I’ve heard a lot of good things about her other books and therefore would be willing to give those ones a try. She has all the right ideas, but need a little professional guidance to make them shine.
November 5, 2010
"Relatively Famous" was a sweet and entertaining read. It's a story about a young teenage girl Dani McKinley that is raised by her single mom who shows a lot of respect to her mom and her mom's boyfriend. Which is surprising, because let's face it. Teenage girls now a days, have nothing but attitude problems. So Dani is your typical teenager who has a best friend and both are a little boy crazy.
Then one day the carpet was snatch from under her feet when she began having paparazzi's chasing her and taking pictures and claiming her to be the daughter of a famous Hollywood actor. Whose movies lately has been sucking. LOL. So here's where the plot thickens. After going through her emotions of finding out her daddy is Mark Ocean. Hollywood's most handsome and available bachelor. She gets to finally know the truth that her mom didn't tell her.
Having just found out she has a famous actor as a father, he then wants to meet her but for his own selfish reasons. Now trying to improve his Hollywood image from a being a "Playboy" to devoted father, he begins to show Dani the life Hollywood has to offer. To which she adjusted quite well into.
What girl wouldn't want to have unlimited funds to her credit cards? So Dani is showered with lots and lots of material stuff, but she's lacking a emotional bond with her dad. To which her is practically incapable of, but Dani and him work on their relationship throughout the book. You see their relationship blossoming and well as seeing Dani growing and learning new life lessons herself.
This is a good book. I enjoyed it, from beginning to end. It grabs you immediately as you begin to read. Jessica is a talented author and I will be looking into reading more of her previous published novels.
Then one day the carpet was snatch from under her feet when she began having paparazzi's chasing her and taking pictures and claiming her to be the daughter of a famous Hollywood actor. Whose movies lately has been sucking. LOL. So here's where the plot thickens. After going through her emotions of finding out her daddy is Mark Ocean. Hollywood's most handsome and available bachelor. She gets to finally know the truth that her mom didn't tell her.
Having just found out she has a famous actor as a father, he then wants to meet her but for his own selfish reasons. Now trying to improve his Hollywood image from a being a "Playboy" to devoted father, he begins to show Dani the life Hollywood has to offer. To which she adjusted quite well into.
What girl wouldn't want to have unlimited funds to her credit cards? So Dani is showered with lots and lots of material stuff, but she's lacking a emotional bond with her dad. To which her is practically incapable of, but Dani and him work on their relationship throughout the book. You see their relationship blossoming and well as seeing Dani growing and learning new life lessons herself.
This is a good book. I enjoyed it, from beginning to end. It grabs you immediately as you begin to read. Jessica is a talented author and I will be looking into reading more of her previous published novels.
October 13, 2010
I really enjoyed reading this book - it was a fast, fun read that had me completely spellbound the entire time. I would have read it straight through in one day if I'd had the time to do so. Everything just flowed so naturally and entertainingly. This is the perfect lay-in-bed-and-read book.
The plot also really intrigued me. I loved the idea of a girl discovering that her father is a famous movie star. What girl wouldn't fantasize about the idea of suddenly becoming famous? I loved seeing how Dani meets her father and integrates herself in to Hollywood society. Even with such an astounding leap in circumstances, all the action is fairly plausible and thus interesting!
The characters also really grabbed me. I felt a connection with all of the major characters - Dani, Mark, Olivia, Nathan, Leila, Alan - I wanted to see good things happen to them and for them all to have that "storybook" ending. The father-daughter relationship between Mark and Dani was so moving to me - the fact that Mark really does want to get to know his daughter and be there for her. It seems like something that would be so rare in real life. I also loved the whole cast of characters that we meet.
I would recommend this book to anyone, really. It would be perfect for a school or classroom library - relatively clean and addictively readable.
The plot also really intrigued me. I loved the idea of a girl discovering that her father is a famous movie star. What girl wouldn't fantasize about the idea of suddenly becoming famous? I loved seeing how Dani meets her father and integrates herself in to Hollywood society. Even with such an astounding leap in circumstances, all the action is fairly plausible and thus interesting!
The characters also really grabbed me. I felt a connection with all of the major characters - Dani, Mark, Olivia, Nathan, Leila, Alan - I wanted to see good things happen to them and for them all to have that "storybook" ending. The father-daughter relationship between Mark and Dani was so moving to me - the fact that Mark really does want to get to know his daughter and be there for her. It seems like something that would be so rare in real life. I also loved the whole cast of characters that we meet.
I would recommend this book to anyone, really. It would be perfect for a school or classroom library - relatively clean and addictively readable.
December 23, 2017
Sweet read
It is always hard for me as I age to read books when the main. character is a teen. I sometimes feel I’m too old to understand teens of today. I’m sure my mom said that about me and her mom about her, but this wasn’t so bad. There were some sweet tender moments and there were bratty teen moments. Overall I liked the book.
It is always hard for me as I age to read books when the main. character is a teen. I sometimes feel I’m too old to understand teens of today. I’m sure my mom said that about me and her mom about her, but this wasn’t so bad. There were some sweet tender moments and there were bratty teen moments. Overall I liked the book.
February 17, 2012
I might've given this 2.5 stars if that was an option, but I can't quite manage to round that up to 3 overall. The writing is so simplistic to start, and there is no real hook to keep you reading for a while. However, I was curious about the story line still, and I had read another book by Jessica Park that I thought was good. So, I kept going. It wasn't a great book, but it wasn't awful. I just didn't really feel any connection to the characters. They were just there, and moving about as the author wanted, usually exactly how you'd expect. I felt very little connection to any of them, nor did I feel like we were made to understand their motivations very well at all, especially for Dani's friends.
December 18, 2012
Plot: 1 1/2 stars
Characters: 1 1/2 stars
Style: 2 stars
Pace: 2 stars
In my attempts to read more self-pub and contemporary YA, I picked this up as a freebie. Guess you get what you pay for, in this case. Predictable, trite, and rather dull. Dani's as Mary Sue as they come, with always just the right answers when she needs them, and just enough plot induced stupidity to not realize it and have easily resolved mistakes. Stylistically, dialogue was stiff, awkward, and too on the nose. Ended up seriously skimming, didn't feel like I missed anything by it either. Meh. Very skippable.
Characters: 1 1/2 stars
Style: 2 stars
Pace: 2 stars
In my attempts to read more self-pub and contemporary YA, I picked this up as a freebie. Guess you get what you pay for, in this case. Predictable, trite, and rather dull. Dani's as Mary Sue as they come, with always just the right answers when she needs them, and just enough plot induced stupidity to not realize it and have easily resolved mistakes. Stylistically, dialogue was stiff, awkward, and too on the nose. Ended up seriously skimming, didn't feel like I missed anything by it either. Meh. Very skippable.
March 16, 2013
I first read Flat Out Love by this author, and while the plot became predictable pretty quickly, the characters were engaging and the story unique. Relatively Famous was a bit...meh. I found the characters to be a bit shallow and boring, and I was really just reading to finish the story. On a positive note, Flat Out Love came after this book, so hopefully that's a sign the author is growing and will put out good stories in the future!
July 11, 2012
Woeful.
Sixty pages in decided I couldn't go any further unless a strong editor had made an appearance. She has a fun voice but it just didn't work with the chaotic and shallow nature of the perspectives. Disappointing.
Sixty pages in decided I couldn't go any further unless a strong editor had made an appearance. She has a fun voice but it just didn't work with the chaotic and shallow nature of the perspectives. Disappointing.
April 20, 2013
This was a DNF for me. I couldn't get into the story and all the different viewpoints were giving me a headache. I picked this book up because I loved Flat Out Love, and the writer has changed quite a bit between this one and FOL. Sorry just not for me.
September 30, 2011
I read this because I liked Jessica Park's other book "flat-out love" but this book I could never get into. Usually I like books written for 15 year olds but not this one.
July 24, 2015
1.5 stars.
I'll give it an extra half a star for the Joshua Jackson reference. Other than that it was very predictable and poorly written. Another one to the 'meh' pile.
I'll give it an extra half a star for the Joshua Jackson reference. Other than that it was very predictable and poorly written. Another one to the 'meh' pile.
August 23, 2021
More like 2.5 stars. The other books by the author had some substance but this just existed as being meh.
July 20, 2013
Bleh. Good story line ruined by flat characters and terrible writing.
January 7, 2018
So far, this has been another disappointment for me. After reading Flat Out Love, I was charmed with Jessica Park, but I can't say the same happened with her other books. Gladly, this book was her first one published and I can see her improvement.
Nevertheless, this story was plain terrible. I don't even know where to start. Lets talk about the ending: awfully rushed and cliché (but with no good reasons to be!). What seemed to be the entire plot of the book was literally blown off with no explanations and some things were shrugged off just because.
I can understand the majority of Dani's reactions because well, she is a teenager after all, and they are supposed to be immature and annoying. But some of the adults attitudes seemed completly out of character and stupid. Like, I really couldn't believe I was reading thirty year olds. And lets add to that that some issues were left completely unresolved.
Even though it started well, the author screwed up. Major. It had potential but was unfortunately ruined by the rushed ending and disgusting clichés. I was expecting more from Jessica Park. I like her writing style, but this was a total mess and the third person pov seemed weird. If you enjoyed her other books, I recommend NOT to read this.
Nevertheless, this story was plain terrible. I don't even know where to start. Lets talk about the ending: awfully rushed and cliché (but with no good reasons to be!). What seemed to be the entire plot of the book was literally blown off with no explanations and some things were shrugged off just because.
I can understand the majority of Dani's reactions because well, she is a teenager after all, and they are supposed to be immature and annoying. But some of the adults attitudes seemed completly out of character and stupid. Like, I really couldn't believe I was reading thirty year olds. And lets add to that that some issues were left completely unresolved.
Even though it started well, the author screwed up. Major. It had potential but was unfortunately ruined by the rushed ending and disgusting clichés. I was expecting more from Jessica Park. I like her writing style, but this was a total mess and the third person pov seemed weird. If you enjoyed her other books, I recommend NOT to read this.
December 16, 2010
When an ordinary small-town girl meets her famous father for the first time, a whole new and exciting world is about to unlock its doors for her. The question is, at what cost?
Relatively Famous by Jessica Park
Dani McKinley is a typical teen who lives a perfectly normal, uncomplicated and relatively simple life in Michigan. With a fabulous mom, said mom's chef boyfriend and her best friend Samantha, Dani couldn't ask for anything more.
The problem with normal, however, is that it never stays the same and Dani is quick to find this out when her life abruptly comes to a crashing halt and she suddenly finds herself subject to intense scrutiny and unwelcome attention from the clamouring and swarming papparazi (who corner her while on her way to school one morning).
When they start making bizarre claims about her being the daughter of world-famous actor, Mark Ocean, her head goes into a complete tailspin. Being the level-headed girl she is, she naturally refuses to believe the ridiculous notion, and although freaked out, runs back home to confront her mother.
... only to have a rather guilty and shame-faced Leila (her mother )confess that Dani is, in actual fact, the Hollywood icon's daughter.
Thus begins a new and marked change in her life when the actor invites Dani to spend the summer in California in order to get to know Mark.
Soon, immersed in a world of endless wealth, club memberships and a whole new wardrobe to boot, Dani quickly learns that all the wealth in the world couldn't make up for the fact that what Mark has in money, he sorely lacks in the parenting skills department. And what she doesn't know is that Mark has his own nefarious reasons for wanting her in his life.
As the summer progresses, Dani makes new friends, lives the glam life and gains the attention of a gorgeous young personal trainer as well a sweet surfer boy. But in a world where glitz and glamour reign, will Dani still be able to hold onto her sense of identity without compromising her sense of self or will she succumb to the allure of the superficial life?
My thoughts:
It's been a while since I've read a contemporary YA fiction novel, so when I first stumbled across Jessica Park on her twitter account and saw that she was offering PDF versions of Relatively Famous to YA book bloggers, I took a chance and decided to ask if she'd be willing to send me a copy of this book.
Luckily for me, she was more than happy to send me a copy, which is how I came to eventually read Relatively Famous. My opinion is that it's one of those books that is highly underrated, which is why I suppose I was so surprised at just how much I ended up enjoying this novel.
It's a fast, breezy and balmy read that immediately brings to mind hot summer days on the beach, mixed with the cosmopolitan but shallow life of typical Hollywood glamour.
It would certainly be easy to mistake this for a rather superficial read, but throughout the novel, Jessica Park threads in wonderful themes of friendship and family dynamics that gives this book a wonderful and substantial amount of substance.
I was hooked from the start and the wonderful characters only served to add to that feeling.
Dani?
She's an awesome character.
It's hard not to like a girl who is sweet, accommodating and so easy to relate to like Dani. What I especially loved is that you could see obvious character growing pains and experience both her growth, and her Hollywood bratty behaviour - and her learning to own up to her actions and faults was definitely one of the things that really made this book such wonderful read.
There's nothing more that I love than characters that are flawed but willingly admit to making mistakes and taking steps to go about fixing them. She's a character who will make you smile, she'll make you want to hug her, and even though she'll cause you moments of frustration, you'll still find yourself rooting for her wholeheartedly.
Another thing that I adored about this book, is that many of the chapters showcase Mark's point of view. I have to congratulate Jessica for including Mark's point of view, because without it, I don't think I would have had much sympathy for him, or liked him for that matter.
As it is, despite his initial motives for wanting Dani to spend the summer with him (It's all about the image baby!), I loved that despite himself, he couldn't help but fall for the charmer of a girl.
I loved how the relationship between Dani and Mark progressed and thought that it was handled with such a tender, breezy and obviously affectionate tone and manner (never in a manner that was rushed or unbelievable), that it seemed all the more real for it.
From overwhelming Dani with all the things that his money manages to buy, to later relenting and allowing Dani to intervene in his love life, the two manage to find a new common ground and companionship with one another that neither were expecting.
Want to know what else is fabulous?
There's actually no real mean girl in this novel. Hooray for that! Sure the friends she makes in LA are spoilt and get everything they want, but the girls aren't really mean - which for me, was incredibly refreshing (Can you tell I'm sick and tired of the whole mean girl angle in YA fiction?).
Of course, there's also the romance in this novel. Caught between two boys, Dani naturally at first gravitates towards the hot-stud of a trainer. But once the lights fade and the glitter falls off, is it really him that she wants to be with?
I'm not going to say anything more on this really - except that I thought the romance, while not the overall focus of the novel, formed a nice backdrop which only added to an already strong story.
I did feel as if the ending was a little rushed and as if there were an issue or two that was still unresolved, but other than that, I can honestly say that I adored this cute, highly entertaining and very, very sweet read.
It's definitely the perfect YA beach read and gets a well-deserved 4 star rating from me!
Source: Sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion of the book in any way whatsoever.
Relatively Famous by Jessica Park
Dani McKinley is a typical teen who lives a perfectly normal, uncomplicated and relatively simple life in Michigan. With a fabulous mom, said mom's chef boyfriend and her best friend Samantha, Dani couldn't ask for anything more.
The problem with normal, however, is that it never stays the same and Dani is quick to find this out when her life abruptly comes to a crashing halt and she suddenly finds herself subject to intense scrutiny and unwelcome attention from the clamouring and swarming papparazi (who corner her while on her way to school one morning).
When they start making bizarre claims about her being the daughter of world-famous actor, Mark Ocean, her head goes into a complete tailspin. Being the level-headed girl she is, she naturally refuses to believe the ridiculous notion, and although freaked out, runs back home to confront her mother.
... only to have a rather guilty and shame-faced Leila (her mother )confess that Dani is, in actual fact, the Hollywood icon's daughter.
Thus begins a new and marked change in her life when the actor invites Dani to spend the summer in California in order to get to know Mark.
Soon, immersed in a world of endless wealth, club memberships and a whole new wardrobe to boot, Dani quickly learns that all the wealth in the world couldn't make up for the fact that what Mark has in money, he sorely lacks in the parenting skills department. And what she doesn't know is that Mark has his own nefarious reasons for wanting her in his life.
As the summer progresses, Dani makes new friends, lives the glam life and gains the attention of a gorgeous young personal trainer as well a sweet surfer boy. But in a world where glitz and glamour reign, will Dani still be able to hold onto her sense of identity without compromising her sense of self or will she succumb to the allure of the superficial life?
My thoughts:
It's been a while since I've read a contemporary YA fiction novel, so when I first stumbled across Jessica Park on her twitter account and saw that she was offering PDF versions of Relatively Famous to YA book bloggers, I took a chance and decided to ask if she'd be willing to send me a copy of this book.
Luckily for me, she was more than happy to send me a copy, which is how I came to eventually read Relatively Famous. My opinion is that it's one of those books that is highly underrated, which is why I suppose I was so surprised at just how much I ended up enjoying this novel.
It's a fast, breezy and balmy read that immediately brings to mind hot summer days on the beach, mixed with the cosmopolitan but shallow life of typical Hollywood glamour.
It would certainly be easy to mistake this for a rather superficial read, but throughout the novel, Jessica Park threads in wonderful themes of friendship and family dynamics that gives this book a wonderful and substantial amount of substance.
I was hooked from the start and the wonderful characters only served to add to that feeling.
Dani?
She's an awesome character.
It's hard not to like a girl who is sweet, accommodating and so easy to relate to like Dani. What I especially loved is that you could see obvious character growing pains and experience both her growth, and her Hollywood bratty behaviour - and her learning to own up to her actions and faults was definitely one of the things that really made this book such wonderful read.
There's nothing more that I love than characters that are flawed but willingly admit to making mistakes and taking steps to go about fixing them. She's a character who will make you smile, she'll make you want to hug her, and even though she'll cause you moments of frustration, you'll still find yourself rooting for her wholeheartedly.
Another thing that I adored about this book, is that many of the chapters showcase Mark's point of view. I have to congratulate Jessica for including Mark's point of view, because without it, I don't think I would have had much sympathy for him, or liked him for that matter.
As it is, despite his initial motives for wanting Dani to spend the summer with him (It's all about the image baby!), I loved that despite himself, he couldn't help but fall for the charmer of a girl.
I loved how the relationship between Dani and Mark progressed and thought that it was handled with such a tender, breezy and obviously affectionate tone and manner (never in a manner that was rushed or unbelievable), that it seemed all the more real for it.
From overwhelming Dani with all the things that his money manages to buy, to later relenting and allowing Dani to intervene in his love life, the two manage to find a new common ground and companionship with one another that neither were expecting.
Want to know what else is fabulous?
There's actually no real mean girl in this novel. Hooray for that! Sure the friends she makes in LA are spoilt and get everything they want, but the girls aren't really mean - which for me, was incredibly refreshing (Can you tell I'm sick and tired of the whole mean girl angle in YA fiction?).
Of course, there's also the romance in this novel. Caught between two boys, Dani naturally at first gravitates towards the hot-stud of a trainer. But once the lights fade and the glitter falls off, is it really him that she wants to be with?
I'm not going to say anything more on this really - except that I thought the romance, while not the overall focus of the novel, formed a nice backdrop which only added to an already strong story.
I did feel as if the ending was a little rushed and as if there were an issue or two that was still unresolved, but other than that, I can honestly say that I adored this cute, highly entertaining and very, very sweet read.
It's definitely the perfect YA beach read and gets a well-deserved 4 star rating from me!
Source: Sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion of the book in any way whatsoever.
January 9, 2020
Good book from amazing author.
Paparazzi surprise teenager Danielle with the revelation that famous action film star, Mark Ocean, is her father. Mark Ocean, in need of an image overhaul, invites his newly revealed teenage daughter to visit him for a week in Hollywood. Dani wants to get to know the father she never knew. Mark wants to use Dani to change his image. One summer together has these two learning what they're capable of and what they truly want in themselves and from each other.
I enjoyed Relatively Famous. It's a good book, but if you've read other books by Jessica Park you may be a little disappointed because we're used to the greatness of her other books. Relatively Famous is just a good story of a young girl and her Hollywood father getting to know each other amidst all the trappings and wonders of Hollywood.
Paparazzi surprise teenager Danielle with the revelation that famous action film star, Mark Ocean, is her father. Mark Ocean, in need of an image overhaul, invites his newly revealed teenage daughter to visit him for a week in Hollywood. Dani wants to get to know the father she never knew. Mark wants to use Dani to change his image. One summer together has these two learning what they're capable of and what they truly want in themselves and from each other.
I enjoyed Relatively Famous. It's a good book, but if you've read other books by Jessica Park you may be a little disappointed because we're used to the greatness of her other books. Relatively Famous is just a good story of a young girl and her Hollywood father getting to know each other amidst all the trappings and wonders of Hollywood.
June 10, 2019
Just ok for me, I liked it for the most part but nothing about it really stood out. I wasn't a fan of the writing style so that may have been why. I can't say I really liked the main characters either. Jessica Park tends to be hit or miss for me. I really loved the Flat Out Love series and Left Drowning but this one, Restless Waters and Clear just didn't live up to the others. I feel like Mark magically transformed without even really spending much time with his daughter. It's like he miraculously changed THEN they started spending more time together. I think the best characters are the secondary one like Olivia and Dani's new friends.
June 4, 2017
Sweet YA
Sweet story, quick read. Felt a little "Princess Diaries"-ish and the ending was rushed. Glad Parker didn't use the "mean girls" trope I was expecting when Dani met the Hollywood crowd. Rushed through the "is Mark using Dani" to father of the year. Would be acceptable for older tweens and young teens
Sweet story, quick read. Felt a little "Princess Diaries"-ish and the ending was rushed. Glad Parker didn't use the "mean girls" trope I was expecting when Dani met the Hollywood crowd. Rushed through the "is Mark using Dani" to father of the year. Would be acceptable for older tweens and young teens
August 27, 2019
Too many typos!
The ridiculous amount of typos were very distracting from the story. The story itself was predictable and cheesy. Character development was jumpy and felt rushed. I feel like it could have been decent if it was expanded a little and proofread a LOT. I was disappointed.
The ridiculous amount of typos were very distracting from the story. The story itself was predictable and cheesy. Character development was jumpy and felt rushed. I feel like it could have been decent if it was expanded a little and proofread a LOT. I was disappointed.
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